Why apply for this role?

This is an excellent opportunity to lead a specialist team responsible for managing complaints referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), helping to deliver fair, timely and well-evidenced outcomes for customers. As Ombudsman & Escalated Complaints Team Leader, you’ll play a key role in supporting the business to strengthen complaint handling, improve customer outcomes and reduce avoidable FOS referrals.

You’ll lead, coach and develop a dedicated case-handling team, providing technical guidance on complex and sensitive cases while using insight from FOS decisions, trends and MI to drive continuous improvement across Customer Relations and wider business areas.

Please note the closing date for this role will be, end of day, Tuesday 29th September 2026

Responsibilities include:

• Leading the day-to-day delivery, performance, wellbeing and capability of a specialist team managing FOS complaints.

• Ensuring FOS referrals are investigated, evidenced and responded to within required timescales and to a high-quality standard.

• Providing technical guidance and decision support on complex, sensitive, high-value or precedent-setting cases.

• Reviewing case strategy, evidence, rationale and redress to ensure fair, consistent and customer-focused outcomes.

• Overseeing responses to FOS investigator views, provisional assessments and final decisions, ensuring actions and redress are completed accurately and promptly.

• Building constructive working relationships with FOS, customers, internal stakeholders and third parties to support clear, timely and evidence-based communication.

• Monitoring team MI and KPIs, including caseload, ageing, timeliness, productivity, quality, outcomes and redress trends.

• Completing regular quality and case reviews, providing actionable feedback and coaching to improve technical judgement, investigation standards and written advocacy.

• Identifying FOS themes, root causes, repeat failure points and systemic issues, escalating risks and translating insight into process, control and customer outcome improvements.

• Supporting governance reporting, priority escalations and continuous improvement activity across Customer Relations and wider business areas.

What we're looking for:

• Significant experience in complaint handling, customer relations or a regulated financial services environment, including demonstrable experience of cases referred to FOS.

• Strong working knowledge of FCA DISP complaint-handling requirements, FOS complaint resolution and the importance of fair customer outcomes.

• Previous people leadership, team management, coaching or technical leadership experience within a complaints environment.

• Confidence assessing evidence, jurisdiction, fairness, liability, redress and customer impact to support clear and defensible case decisions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex complaint decisions clearly to FOS, customers and senior stakeholders.

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret MI, identify trends and use insight to manage performance, risk and improvement activity.

• A collaborative approach, with the ability to build effective relationships across Customer Relations, Quality Assurance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, operational and product teams.

• High levels of accuracy, judgement, accountability and resilience when managing competing priorities, sensitive cases and regulatory expectations.

• Competence using Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel, and the ability to learn complaint and FOS case-management systems quickly.

• A relevant complaint-handling, regulatory, leadership or financial services qualification would be desirable.

We have a range of benefits available which include:

• Competitive salary dependent on experience

• 27 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays

• Annual bonus based on personal and company performance

• Private medical cover

• £500 flexible benefit allowance

• Generous pension contributions

• Employee assistance programme

• Sharesave scheme

• Gym passes at a reduced rate for 3,000 gyms, leisure centres etc

Inclusion

At Santander we’re creating a thriving workplace where all colleagues feel they belong and are supported to succeed.  We all help to make Santander a workplace that celebrates diversity and attracts, retains and develops the most talented and committed people through living our values of Simple, Personal, and Fair.

At Santander Consumer Finance we have a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, bullying, harassment (including sexual) or victimisation of any kind.

Should you want to be considered for part time hours, please let us know and we can assess your requirements.

What are the next steps:

If you are interested in this role and believe you have the skills, experience, and knowledge then we’d love to hear from you. Please go ahead and click apply which will take you through some questions and allow you to submit your CV and covering letter.